Locking manhole frame and cover



April 13, 1926. 1,580,541

W. S. SHERMAN LOCKING MANHOLE FRAME AND COVER Filed June 29, 1925wmmllll Patented Apr. 13, 1926.

UNITED STATES PAT V wAnR'EcN s. SHERMAN, or OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA.

LOCKING MANHOLE FRAME AN oovma Application filed June 29, 1925. SerialNo. 40,392.

1 To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, WARREN S. SHERMAN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Oklahoma City, in the countyof Oklahoma.

, and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in a Locking Manhole Frame and Cover, of which the followinis a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in means for locking manholecovers upon their supporting frames. I

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a novel type oflocking manhole frame and cover, embodying a relatively simplearrangement by means of which the same may be quickly locked againstliability of accidental detachment.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a manhole coverand frame therefor, and a novel locking key for turning the cover in theframe for the purpose of looking or unlocking the same with respectthereto.

Other objects-and advantages of this in-' vention will be apparentduring the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, andwherein similar reference characters designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective vew'showing the relative arrangement ofdetails of the cover and its frame, with the cover lifted from the frameto show the cooperative locking features of the cover and frame; I

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the key structureand adjacentthe cooperating locking features of the cover and frame. Y

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken through the foundation uponwhich the manhole cover and frame are mounted, looking upwardly towardthe cover ofthe manhole, to show the cooperative locking features of thecover and its frame.

V Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken through the manhole frame andits cover, showing the same in" locked relation;

Figure '5 is a fragmentary'cross sectional view taken substantially onthe line 5-5 of Figure 2, showing more particularly the direction ofrotation of the key for locking the cover on its frame.

'Fi re '6 is a perspective view of the key by which the cover'isconnected tov the frame ing- 31- of so that upon operation of the keythe cover may be locked or unlocked with respect to the frame. y

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown only apreferred embodiment of the invention, the letter A may generallydesignate the manhole cover,

adapted to be supported upon the frame B; I

the cover and frame includin novel cooperating locking features rigidtherewith,

which may be moved into or out of locking relation by means of a keydeviceC, with which a handle D may be operably associated.

The cover A, of course, preferably in cludes the flat, preferablycircular, disc shaped body portion 10, preferably having" ribs, lugs. oranalogous locking parts 11, 12, 13 and 14, integral and rigid with thedisc 10, preferably extending below the bottom surface .of the di-sc10.These ribs 1114 inclusive preferably radiate inv shaped manner from-thecenter of the'disc 10, and at their outer ends the ribs or lugs 10-14are each notched, to provide a recess, or opening 15, which opens at theend edge 16 of each of said ribs or lugs 1114 inclusive; the recesses oropenings 15, being, arranged flush with the bottom surface of the disc10, The ribs 1114, thus, not only provide the means by which the covermay be locked to the frame B, but are so arranged as to reinforce themanhole cover.

The frame B is preferably of cast iron or analogous metal, and the sameis ring shaped in formation, providing the ring shaped body portion 20,outwardly from which the upper supportingflange 21 annularly extends,which is adapted to rest upon the ground of suitable foundation E, as isillustrated in Figure 4, for supporting the frame B in a manhole 25. Theframe B provides an annular shoulder 27, countersunk inwardly of. theteip surface of the supporting frame 21 an marginalportions of the coverdisc 10 is adapted to be received, so that the cover may besupported'upon the frame B, with the to surface of the cover preferablyflush witht etop surface'of the supporting frame upon which the r 21, inthe-relation illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawing. p i p Frame lockinglugs 29and 30am interally formed: upon the body 20 oflthe frame Bradially extending into the openthe body 20;=these loekinglugs being ofany approved shape, and providing lower cam surfaces 35, sloping atprofcrably an acute angle to the horizontal, or to the plane, in whichthe cover is disposed when mounted upon the frame B. These locking lugs29 and 30 only project sufficiently into the opening of the frame B, tobe received in the pockets or recesses 15 provided by the cover A, whenthe cover is mounted upon the frame B and slightly rotated thru a properdegree of movement.

The frame B is preferably provided with a plurality of ratchet teeth 40,arranged integral with the body 20, in an inwardly extending relationfrom. the opening 31 through the frame B, as illustrated in. Figure 1 ofthe drawing, for the purpose of cooperating with the key C in order toeffect the rotation of the cover A. Below the teeth 40, av keysupporting flange 42 radially extends into the opening 31, the samebeing integral or rigid with the body 20, and pro viding an arcuate slot43, which is arranged beyond the outer edges of the teeth 40, forreceiving a guide shank 45 of the key C, in order to guide thel'l'lOVGlnOllt of the key C.

The key C preferably includes the pinion portion 46 provided with teethadapted to intermesh with the teeth 40 of the rack on the frame B, andupwardly of the pinion 40 is a substantially cylindrical shaped bearingportion 47 which is adapted to seat in an opening 48 provided throughthe disc body 10 of the cover A; the portion 47 preferably having apolygonal shaped socket 49 inwardly from the top surface 50 thereof,adapted to receive the handle D, which is preferably polygonal at itsportion to be inserted in the socket 49, to key the handle D to the keymember 0, can readily be understood. The handle D, of course, may be ofany approved length, and may include the hand grasped portion 51 at theupper end thereof, as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing.

Referring to the manner of operation of the invention, with the frame Bmounted upon a foundation E, the cover A may be placed'upon the frame B,so that the shoulder 9.7 supports the cover as above mentioned. In orderto place the cover A in this position upon the frame B, thelocking ribsor lugs of the cover A will of course have to be placed substantially ina position illustrated by the dotted lines in Figure 3, prior to thelocking operation, in order to properly place the cover on its frame.When the cover A has been thus placed upon the frame B, the key C may beinserted in the opening 48, if the same has not already been inserted,and it can readily be understood that the key will be supported by theflange 42 of the frame B, and guided for proper movement by reason ofits shank connection in the arcuate slot 43. The teeth of the'pinion 46of the key C, of course, mesh with the teeth 40 of the frame B, and thetop surface 50 of the key C preferably lies flush with the topv surfaceof the cover disc 10. Merely by the insertion of the han dle D into thesocket 49, placing the device in a position to be operated, and uponturning of the handle in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure5, the cover will be rotated through a slight are by reason of theintermeshing of the key and frame teeth, so that the recesses 15 will bemoved to receive the locking lugs 29 and 30 of the frame B, and the camsurfaces 35 of the locking lugs will bind against the recess of pocketedges of the locking lugs or ribs of the cover A, as is illustrated inFigures 3 and 4 of the drawing, to effectively lock the cover upon theframe B, in the posit-ion illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. To unlock, itis merely necessary to reverse the operation, as can readily beunderstood.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be madeto the form of invention herein shown and described, without departingfrom the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim: 1. In a locking manhole cover and frame construction thecombination of a manhole frame and a cover therefor, means to wedge lockthe frame and cover together upon slight relative arcuate movement ofthe same, and means to cause such relative arcuate movement of the coverand frame including teeth rigid with one of the same and a rotatablepinion carried by the other including teeth intermeshing with said firstmentioned teeth.

2. In a device of the class described a manhole frame, a manhole cover,means by which to lock the cover on the frame upon slight arcuatemovement of the cover on the frame, a series of teeth rigid with theframe, and a key rotatably carried by the cover including teeth formeshing with the teethiof. the frame. r

3. In a device of the class, described a manhole frame, a manhole cover,teeth rigid with the frame, a key rotatably carried by the manhole coverhaving a pinion with teeth meshing with the teeth of the frame,wherebyupon rotation of the key the cover may be rotated on said frame,and locking means constructed with the framerand cover for movement intoor out of locking relation upon movement of the cover and the frame.

4. In a device of the class described a manhole cover, a manhole frameadapted to receive the cover, ratchet teeth rigid with the frame. saidcover having an opening therein. a key adapted to be rotatablypositioned in the manhole cover opening, means to so support the key insaid opening, said key having a plurality of teeth adapted to Hit? meshwith the ratchet teeth of the frame when the cover is upon the-frame,whereby frame.

5. In a device of the class described a manhole cover, a manhole frameof substantially ring shaped formation providing an opening therein,ratchet teeth rigid with the frame extending into its opening, a flangecarried rigidly by the frame extending into. its opening below saidteeth and in inwardly projecting relation beyond the edges of saidteeth, a key rotatable in said cover adapted to rest upon the frameflange when the cover is assembled on the frame, said key having teethintermeshing with the teeth of the frame, and locking means constructedwith the frame and cover.

6. In a device of the class described a substantially ring shapedmanhole frame providing an opening therethrough, a series of ratchetteeth rigid with the frame extending into said opening thereof, asupporting flange rigid with the frame extending into the openingthereof below the teeth and in inwardly projecting relation beyond theinner end edges of said teeth, said flange beyond said edges of theteeth having an arcuate slot therein substantially concentric with theopening through said frame, a manhole cover for said frame having anopening therein, a key rotatably mounted in said opening having a guideshank adapted to project into the slot of the flange of said frame, saidkey having a pinion portion adapted to rest upon the flange of saidframe to support the key in the opening of saidcover, said key pinionportion having teeth inter-meshing with the teeth of said frame," andlocking details carried by the cover and frame adapted to be moved intoor out of meshing relation incident to rotation of the cover on saidframe.

7. In a locking manhole frame and cover the combination of a manholeframe havin an opening therein with a series of racl r teeth formed onthe inner periphery of said opening projecting into the opening, amanhole cover for said opening, interlocking means on the cover andframe to lock the cover on the frame when the cover is rotated slightlywithin the opening of said frame, and a rotatable pinion carried by thecover in meshing relation with the teeth of said frame adapted .uponrotation to effect the rotational movement of the cover in the frame.

8. In a locking manhole frame and cover the combination of a framehaving an opening therein, a manhole cover for the opening of the frame,interlocking means on the frame and cover to effect locking of the frameand cover upon slight arcuate movement of the latter in the former,intermeshing rack and pinion means carried by the frame and cover, thesame being located entirely below the upper surfaces of the frame andcover, the pinion having an n wardly facing open socket, and a detachabe handle for said socket.

WARREN S. SHERMAN.

